The Proper Use of Nudity in FRPG Art

[Richards]

Proud owner of a set of "D's"

...Dice?

Johnathan

(Welcome to EN World, by the way!)

 

[Dire Bare]

As has been noted by some level-headed folks here, WotC (and TSR before them) has been rather conservative when it comes to "classic" cheesecake in fantasy art . . . since the 2nd Edition of the game.

Many of us fantasy fans, male and female, enjoy that classic cheesecake fantasy art, myself included. Some don't. It's all good.

But, the question is (or should be), should WotC up the cheesecake quotient in the art direction for D&D?

While I'd probably enjoy it myself, I don't think they should do that. And I doubt they will. As others have stated upthread, WotC is trying to target as wide a demographic as possible for D&D. Going back to cheesecake would please some (no doubt), but would alienate too many (and their parents too). Sales would drop, D&D would be in jeopardy.

So, I'm happy with the overall art direction WotC has been pursuing quite well throughout 3rd and 4th Edition. I get my cheesecake from other quality sources!

 

[steenan]

I prefer not to have eroticism in RPG books. Or, maybe, to have it limited to a few places where it really fits (non-erotic picture of a succubus or a nymph would be worse than no picture at all).

That does not mean that I strongly oppose partial or complete nudity, male or female. It is perfectly possible to create nude pictures with no strong erotic themes and to create pictures that contain no direct nudity, but are erotic nonetheless.

I would gladly see a picture of an adventuring party during or after a battle (all sensibly armed and armored, dirty, bloody and tired) and, a few pages further, the same party at their camp in the morning (a wizard studying his book, others taking a bath in a stream, nude, laughing at him). A young tribal of any sex, armed, partially or fully nude, covered in war paint or tatoos, would also be ok.
What I don't want to see is female warriors with huge breasts and unarmored bellies, sorceresses in high heels and male barbarians that look like culturist models, all posed as if during some kind of a show.

 

[Lwaxy]

I don't have issues with nudity, and I don't mind that the majority of half-naked people in fantasy art is female. I am just annoyed about the illogical situations females are portrayed in. I don't even mean the shiny knight rescuing the little blonde slave or stuff like that. But a half naked woman with a half naked baby in the snow? Or the warrior woman in a leather bra and a thong? Yeah, that makes so much sense...

I don't think many people would want to see a lot of half naked men though. Not even the females.

 

[Wepwawet]

I don't think many people would want to see a lot of half naked men though. Not even the females.

I would!

I just wish D&D had more male barbarians in undergarments.


EDIT: Anyway, I believe the male and female body is beautiful. It's very artistic. As long as it is done decently, of course.
It's not like people use their D&D books as erotica.

 

[Dausuul]

The way I see it, RPG art should portray characters in reasonable ways. There's nothing wrong with portraying sexy characters. The problem crops up when characters are portrayed in sexual ways in situations where that makes no sense.

I have no problem with a female barbarian in a short leather tunic, with bare, sleekly muscled arms and legs, crouched in a fighting stance. That's sexy but not sexual.

Similarly, a succubus in dominatrix gear and a come-hither pose is fine. She's a succubus, that's what they do. It's sexual, but appropriate.

Where I start to have problems is when the barbarian is in dominatrix gear and a come-hither pose. (Unless it's depicted as a bedroom scene, which could be really funny; maybe throw in a chained-up male wizard, with the traditional long grey hair and beard, stripped to a loincloth with a terrified look on his face.) That conveys the idea that the barbarian is there, not to be a ferocious warrior hacking through hordes of monsters, but to be a pin-up girl for the male adventurers - or, rather, the male players.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

The way I see it, RPG art should portray characters in reasonable ways. There's nothing wrong with portraying sexy characters. The problem crops up when characters are portrayed in sexual ways in situations where that makes no sense.

I have no problem with a female barbarian in leather with bare, sleekly muscled arms and legs, crouched in a fighting stance. That's sexy but not sexual.

Similarly, a succubus in dominatrix gear and a come-hither pose is fine. She's a succubus, that's what they do. It's sexual, but appropriate.

Where I start to have problems is when the barbarian is in dominatrix gear and a come-hither pose. (Unless it's depicted as a bedroom scene, which could be really funny.)

Totally agree, my biggest gripe with fantasy art is impractical gear, high heels on females and armour with holes or handles. I also rather that the warroir women look like they could do the business. I dislike the waif look in real life, so I would rather not see in Fantasy art either.

That said, I do not see WoTC or anyone else changing their art policy in the near future.

 

[Lord Xtheth]

IMO nudity in art is a welcome sight. I've seen "Equality-this" and "Sexist-that" but realy, how many man-nipples must I wade through before I see a single boob?
On the same note, I hate, HATE the idea that "Oh, we're not allowed to show nipples, but lets suggest nudity anyhow" mindset I've seen far too often. If you want to paint a naked breast... PAINT A NAKED BREAST don't hide it with hair, a sword, a badly mutated arm, a pet, another character's body part, or anything of the sort in the way. If you don't want to show a naked breast... DON'T SHOW A NAKED BREAST. Bras, Bikini tops, shirts, sports tops, chainmail bikinis, and so on were invented for just such an occasion where nipples were meant to be hidden.

Art is art, the only reason nudity in art is viewed as bad is because (up tight) parents think its bad and tell other (up tight) parents that it's bad and the children only think its bad because their parents say so.

 

[Dausuul]

Bras, Bikini tops, shirts, sports tops, chainmail bikinis, and so on were invented for just such an occasion where nipples were meant to be hidden.

I would much prefer total nudity to a chainmail bikini. There are plenty of reasons why adventurers, male or female, might be naked. Maybe they took off their clothes to swim through a subterranean lake. Maybe they were captured and stripped of all their gear. Maybe they got in a fight with a marilith and their clothes were shredded to the point of uselessness (though in that case, they ought to be covered in sword cuts). A chainmail bikini, on the other hand, has no conceivable justification other than the erotic.

Of course, if we're going to have naked women, it's only fair to the female fans to throw in some naked men as well...

 

[shilsen]

I would much prefer total nudity to a chainmail bikini. There are plenty of reasons why adventurers, male or female, might be naked. Maybe they took off their clothes to swim through a subterranean lake. Maybe they were captured and stripped of all their gear. Maybe they got in a fight with a marilith and their clothes were shredded to the point of uselessness (though in that case, they ought to be covered in sword cuts). A chainmail bikini, on the other hand, has no conceivable justification other than the erotic.

Agreed. And stupidly erotic, IMNSHO.

Of course, if we're going to have naked women, it's only fair to the female fans to throw in some naked men as well...

And some male fans as well. Besides the fact that a number of non-heterosexuals play the game, a number of heterosexual men are capable of appreciating an attractive and well-drawn male nude just as a number of heterosexual women would appreciate an attractive and well-drawn female nude.